Thursday, May 21

How to Put Snap Into Gingersnap Cookies

Ginger bread men are perfect for Christmas time, but gingersnaps are perfect any time.

Our love for gingersnaps runs deep: they evolved from the traditional German Christmas ginger bread cookie, Lebkuchen, which were likely invented by Medieval German monks as early as the thirteenth century.

While ginger bread men get to play dress up every winter, gingersnaps remain plain Janes year-round. Yet it's their unassuming nature that makes them so appealing. Gingersnaps are small, round, spicy cookies made from ginger and molasses. Unlike ginger bread cookies, gingersnaps are crisper and firmer, making them ideal for dunking.

Like most people, I always thought the "snap" referred to the cookie's characteristic crunch; however, according to John Mariani of The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, "snap" probably derives from the German or Middle Dutch, snappen, which means "to seize quickly." In relation to cookies, it's an informal way of saying they're easy or "a snap to make."

Still, the best gingersnaps are snappy on many levels. So how exactly do you put the "snap" in a gingersnap? I have tried about half a dozen different gingersnap cookie recipes, and the snappiest ones are from Martha. Here's what's so good about her gingersnap cookies recipe: She uses real ginger, which infuses the cookies with a clean, fresh zinginess, ground cloves, which offer enticing aroma and spiciness, and ground black pepper, which adds a touch of heat. I baked the cookies a little longer for added crispness and rolled them in Turbinado sugar for extra crunch.

Don't wait a long seven months for Christmas cookie season to get your ginger cookie fix. Gingersnaps are low-maintenance -- no cut outs, no frosting, no raisin buttons, just old-fashioned gingery goodness.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, and salt; set aside.

Martha uses a stand mixer, but I used a hand mixer for this part: In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, molasses, and ginger on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg until smooth and combined. Add flour mixture, and beat on low until just combined. Transfer dough to a bowl and wrap in plastic; refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, with racks in the center and lower third. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place granulated sugar in a shallow bowl; roll balls in sugar until completely coated, and place about 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets (as cookies spread).

Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are deep golden all over and centers are firm, 15-18 minutes (I baked mine for about 20 minutes so they would be crisper). Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be kept in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Note: Tin containers will keep the cookies crisper.

42 comments:

Oh yum! I just got some rhubarb and strawberries from the farmers' market. I'm thinking vanilla ice cream with strawberry-rhubarb sauce and gingersnaps for dinner tonight! Thanks for the fabulous idea.

Have you ever had Gingersnap cookies with Cayenne? I just made them and they are pretty good, but I'll be making these in a few minutes. I've picked these two for the Gingersnap Smackdown my family is having.

I'd say these won. I only made a dozen of these and my son finished them off. I felt they lacked the kick the cayenne pepper ones so I just switched out the pepper and added cayenne which we loved. This is definitely a keeper for us.